The present invention relates to cordage, and more particularly, to an improved rope made of nylon.
Nylon ropes have been in use for many years. Nylon is known to provide strong, elastic rope fibers. Rope formed of nylon provides excellent shock absorption, withstanding dynamic loads that have been found to break other ropes. Nylon has good resistance to abrasion, rot, mildew, marine growth, petroleum products, and most chemicals and is widely used in the marine industry as anchor, mooring, shock and towing lines. Nylon rope construction is typically produced in three or four strand twisted, eight strand plaited and solid braid and are satisfactory in most applications.
Nevertheless, nylon ropes experience significant wearing due to wet abrasion. More particularly, abrasion caused by contact of the rope with another surface such as a bollard, cleat or other metal surface is accelerated when the nylon rope is wet.
Techniques for protecting the rope against wearing have included coating the rope or applying another covering such as a canvas or leather sleeve. These techniques are unsatisfactory since they increase production costs of the rope and further tend to affect the stiffness and hand of the rope.